THINKING IN THE WRIGHT DIRECTION

Blair Wright, the man behind the Alberta timothy success story wants to
undertake another alternative crop market.

Hemp crops, which are similar in biomass to timothy would allow farmers to
diversify their crop choices while maintaining the existing infrastructure
in the agriculture processing sector.

"You've got to start sometime," said Wright. "I don't think there is a
farmer out there who thinks we shouldn't have more crop choices, especially
in this part of the world where the choices are slim."

Wright, who is the former president and co-founder of Transfeeder Inc. in
Olds, saw an opportunity years ago to ship high fibre timothy hay into
Asian markets. Now with the timothy market declining, he has been thinking
hemp for the last five years.

With the help of Trevor Kloeck, senior development officer of bioindustrial
development for Alberta Agriculture they presented it to Mountain View
County council during their July 19 meeting of policies and priorities
committee.

Olds and surrounding areas may need to look to Europe for innovations in
the commercial production and use of industrial hemp.

Deemed the world's premier renewable resource by the Government of Canada
and since the lifting of a 60-year ban, hemp has seen a re-emergence
worldwide as the market becomes a thriving and commercial success.

Kloec, feels that Alberta, especially Peace River Country and areas on the
eastern slopes of the Rockies, the black soil areas of the province, are
optimum locations for hemp production.

"This is a great growing area for these crops, we can produce these crops
in large volumes, it has good transportation volume ... so from a business
standpoint in the province the Highway two corrider in general is the best
place around for it," said Kloeck.

There are a few challenges that the industry is facing.

"There are no grading standards," said Wright. "The harvesting process is
not easy."

With Europe ahead of the curve in the production and use of industrial
hemp, Canada will have to play catch-up in order to advance our technology,
especially in the harvesting and processing machinery.

"We don't have to start all over again. We can take what Europe has and
utilize it here," Wright said.

From 1982 to 2002, Europe provided the equivalent of $50 million to
develop new flax and hemp harvesting and fibre processing technologies. The
similarities between flax and hemp have furthered the technological
advancement for both products because the technology developed for one is
usually adaptable to the other.

Although Europe is advanced on the technological side, it has failed to
generate the biomass needed to get the industry going because of the small
parcels of land typically found in European farms. Kloeck feels without the
restrictions of land mass, that Canada would be able to set a global
standard in the industry.

"We can catch up or pass our competitors very quickly if we get our act
together," Kloeck said. "This is an industry on the verge of getting big."

So far, the province of Manitoba has been the leading force in Canada as
far as industrial hemp growing.

With organizations like the Saskatchewan Hemp Association and Manitoba
Industrial Hemp Association it's hard to imagine why Alberta is lagging behind.

Economics may be the biggest factor, since little hemp has been harvested
in Alberta, cost information for hemp production is difficult to obtain.

New entrants to the industry must be prepared to carefully assess the
profitability and cash flow implications of their proposed operation.

Kloeck is hoping to see Alberta's involvement change in the near future.

Wright also feels that Canada has a window of opportunity with the United
States typically choosing to be anti-drug.

The stigma attached to the crop, although it has 0.03 per cent THC levels,
while marijuana has somewhere between five and 25 per cent, is what is
holding the American market back.

"This stuff has no drug in it, no THC," said Wright.

All the challenges aside, Wright is still thinking of the positives.

"When you think about hemp, and its biomass per acre, it is one of the
highest yielding crops in this part of the world," Wright said.

Wright, who appears young at heart, also feels that he may not have the
energy it will take to see this project to fruitation.

"Do I want to start this?" Wright said. "Maybe a younger man should take it
on. This will take a lot of energy and a sizeable investment."

If it is anything like the timothy process, he could be labouring through
the process for another 20 years.

"I have been a little bit of an innovator," Wright said modestly. "I can
get people motivated, but you have to make sure the trend and the timing is
right."

With rumours of the province administering a $100 million rural development
fund, to be administered through county or municipal districts, Wright and
Kloeck hope to ensure industrial hemp production will see some government
dollars.

"You want to leave an indelible footprint in rural Alberta," Wright said.
"And I think in 20 years we will see the bio-economy take a step forward."